Summer of the Serpent

In Summer of the Serpent, we get some intriguing characters surrounding a large pool at presumably some resort. A little girl with a inflatable life preserver eyes a mysterious woman and her manservant who have very precise (and as a result, humorous) methods of doing things. The assistant keeps an eye on the girl as well, so we understand there is a certain unspoken connection between the two.

But ultimately, there isn't a clear reason of why these two are feeling simpatico, what's going on with the secretive lady and her helper or why the manservant and the little girl would even care about each other and I wasn't certain I understood what was happening though I felt *something* was. It seemed as if there was a lot of potential in this half-hour short that wasn't realized, a lot of meaning left unexplained and the result was a less than satisfying story.

I've watched this short on the Sundance Channel three different times now... and it always mesmerizes me. It's amazingly well made for a short, absolutely beautiful photography with lots of color, and terrific sound work, sometimes just the ordinary sounds of a day at the public pool, a lot of wonderful and appropriate music, and sometimes a symphony of the two. And there's some really good subtle acting work as much of the communication in this film is non-verbal.

The premise is also very intriguing. A shy, bored young girl at the pool becomes fascinated (almost obsessed) with an unlikely pair of new arrivals, a posh young woman and her manservant. The rituals and out of place nature of the pair mesmerize the girl (and me). And it begs the interesting question... Why did this woman who can obviously afford to do her pool lounging at a much nicer place show up at a public pool frequented by the peanut butter and jelly sandwich crowd? Then, all the staring between the timid girl and the laconic servant becomes captivating as you wonder where it's going.

The ending may baffle, and as another user commented, may leave some unfulfilled. I'll discuss that on the message board for this short film instead of here... but regardless of that... this short film is definitely worth a watch just for the stunningly beautiful film-making.

One hot afternoon at an outdoor pool, a young girl finds her curiosity piqued by the arrival of a glamorous young woman and her attendant. The story unfolds at a steady pace, appropriate to the setting of a hot, summer afternoon. The lush cinematography, artfully subtle acting, and well-chosen soundtrack beautifully reveal a story which illustrates the convergence of different lives. What starts simply, gradually evolves into an intricate dance in which the principal players paths progressively interweave into a dynamic, abstract exploration of the physical and psychological disruption-followed-by-harmony that happens when we allow others into our lives.

_Summer of the Serpent_ left me thoughtful about the ways in which allowing ourselves to accept others lives creates a welcome ripple in our well-worn realities. It's at once beautiful as well as smart.